JWT sets "hot shops" for Ford

Published on September 24, 1999.

J. Walter Thompson USA, Detroit, will reorganize its 300-plus Ford Motor Co. account personnel into small, specialized units it's calling "hot shops." Creative groups will focus on one medium, with different shops for print, broadcast and digital. Creative personnel will rotate through the groups in one-year stints. Media, research and account staffers also will work in small groups. About a dozen groups are expected to be formed. JWT officials said the reorganization is meant to push unconventional ideas such as the Ford Focus live TV spots. The move will not reduce staff.